A New Favourite Morning Walk: Conrad's Beach (West Lawrencetown, NS)

I attribute my satisfaction with this beautiful Saturday to a combination of starting off with fresh air and to going with the flow. Today started with a walk on the beautiful Conrad's Beach. We spent a couple hours wandering the shoreline and meandering back through the woods. I can't think of a better way to start the day!

The best part of walking a beach first thing in the morning is you beat the crowds! It is truly peaceful.

The trail from the second beach through the woods is short and sweet. A perfect blend of beach and Nova Scotian forest! We even saw wild irises growing! 

A bit more about Conrad's:

• There are two beaches separated by a bed of rocks. 
• The boardwalk, which had been badly damaged, has been replaced! 
• This is a breeding area for Piping Plover, so stick closer to the water especially with dogs and don't go near restricted areas.

First hike in FOUR MONTHS: Pennant Point Trail (Crystal Crescent Beach, NS)

I realized something today that completely unsettled me: I had not been hiking in four months!! Between my Masters and full-time work, there has literally been no time... except of course for those few days when there was a wee bit of time, and instead we were faced with this:

Snowmageddon 2015: Near state of emergency in Halifax, NS.

So my poor body is suffering, and my child has not had near as much outdoor time as I would have liked her to over the past few months. But there is good news: my blogging hiatus is over! My studies are over until September, so here begins hiking season and its accompanying blog updates!


Today we hiked Pennant Point trail at Crystal Crescent Beach!
Crystal Crescent Beach is a gorgeous white sand beach located in Sambro (30 minutes from Halifax). There are three beaches and a 13km hiking trail. This is one of my favourite times of year for beach hiking. The beach is not quite ready for the crowds yet, though, their sands are warm and their traces of winter are few. 

TIP: Remember that before parks are officially open, there is additional hiking just to get to the summertime parking lot. The roads into the parks are great for running and cycling with kiddos since no cars can pass the gates to access them!

Jaunt into Crystal Crescent in the off-season. 

The Pennant Point trail runs along a coastline that ranges from white sandy beaches to boldorous surfaces like those at Peggy's Cove & Polly's Cove. The waves are gorgeous, and if you bring binoculars, you can look out and see people paddling near the islands. It is a great family hike as most of it is easy; a lot of the trail is boardwalked. This is another hike though where you can add to the challenge by doing more scrambling in the rocks than boardwalking. 

Forested hikes often receive less sunlight, so they still have a fair bit of snow in April. 

This was the most snow we saw at Crystal Crescent. 

One of my favourite parts of the hike! 

Perfect level of challenge for preschoolers! 

If you live in or near the HRM and have not checked this beach out, it is a must! Whether you choose to have a beach day or a hike, the coastline is exhilarating! 

Notes:
-GPS: N44 28.307 W63 37.364
-Strollers are not recommended. Babywearing is best choice. 
-Third beach is a nude beach when warm weather comes.
-Remember to dress in more layers than seems necessary when spring hiking on the coast as temperatures vary greatly. 

Backcountry Hiking right in Halifax's Backyard: Bluff Wilderness

I have been anxious to check out Bluff Wilderness Trails for some time now but have not been sure how challenging it might be with a wee one coming along! So what better way to find out than to go check it out? Well, today my husband and I magically both had the day off while H was at daycare, so we went hiking! (We chose to go just the two of us to evaluate how we would want to plan a trip with our wee one and to enjoy some time just the two of us!) We hiked 2 of the 4 loops: Pot Lake Loop and Indian Hill Loop, totaling 18 km. At the end of the day our legs were sore but our minds were rejuvenated with beautiful landscapes!

To get to the trailhead, I do not recommend following Michael Hayne's guide nor using Google maps for "Bluff Wilderness Trail". Basically, coming from Halifax, it will take 15 to 20 minutes. You want to:

-Take the Highway 102

-Take Exit 1A (Peggy's Cove-South Shore)

-Take Exit 4 (Hubley-Timberlea)

-Turn RIGHT onto St Margaret's Bay Rd.

-Drive 2 km

-Trailhead parking on the right beside Bay Self Storage

Okay, so onto the real question: how accessible is this hike for wee ones? Well, it is a difficult hiking terrain (lots of boulders, roots, rocks, some log crossings). So most obviously this is NOT a stroller hike. For babies, you would want to wear them securely. For toddlers, you should consider a mix of a kid carrier and your toddler walking. For older kids, this will be a fun challenge for them to walk themselves. Your hiking speed will be considerably slower with kids along, so I would recommend trying only the first loop (Pot Lake Loop) to begin.

Orienteering on this trail however is quite simple. The trails are colour-coded with markers throughout. There are many barren areas where you cross over boulders, and black arrows on the rock point you in the needed direction. There are also maps where each loop meets (at any intersection of trail) and a detailed downloadable map here. No worries about getting lost in the backcountry here, but bring your map & compass just in case!

Blue trail marker (on the right) showing the way through some boulderous terrain.

Arrows denoting the direction to hike.

We were so amazed that this escape to nature has been so close by and we have not taken advantage in the past. It is astonishing, and if you don't believe me, see for yourself!

Halifax's Favourite Park: Point Pleasant

 It really needs no introduction; most people know Halifax's Point Pleasant Park. It is located in the south end of the Halifax peninsula and is a common place for many dog walkers, picnickers, trail runners, and families. Point Pleasant is an easy hike/walk for families. The trails are wide, well-groomed, and there is not a lot of elevation. Perfect for strollers or babywearing. Point Pleasant is great for lots of activities, and if you are a family used to trails that are a bit more challenging or are looking to see more of the backcountry then here are some things you might love to do at Point Pleasant:

1. Awesome spot close to home (for Haligonians) to try out your gear! First time using your hiking kid carrier? Try it out here! First time trying to feed a family on a small camp stove? Try a picnic!

2. Snowshoeing in the winter! Yes, Point Pleasant is great year-round! And in winter after a nice snowfall, grab your snowshoes (or hit up MEC to rent them for cheap), and hit the trails. Snow can be really hard to plan for these days with such unpredictable winters, and it can be even more challenging to find an escape to play in the snow with a family, so Point Pleasant is a great close-to-home winter adventure!

3. Make us of the "dog paths". These are side trails to the main street-width trails that are narrower and are often spots where dogs can run off their leashes. They are especially nice to give toddlers a chance to get their first feel for what hitting the trails is like!

4. Get more nature time in your day-to-day! It is so close to many people's homes or work. It is an awesome stop to get some nature in without having to pack up and prepare a lot. Whether it is going for some "mama/papa-only time" on your lunch break to walk/run or taking your wee one to see the duckies before heading to daycare, this can be a nice way to break up the daily grind! 

Frog Pond Trail (Dingle Park, NS)

Here you can tell why it's called Frog Pond. So many lily pads!!

This hike is beautiful, close for city folk, and easy enough for beginner hikers! It is about 10-15 minutes from downtown Halifax. We go in all seasons. If you are using a stroller, the trail is very accessible. If you are using a child carrier you can go off trail more and check out some of the really neat side paths and boulders. 

Our wee one is 28 months old, so what we found to be perfect was pushing her in the jogging stroller. While she napped, my partner and I sat by the water and enjoyed reading our books. When she was awake, we were wondering off the trail exploring!

We loved seeing all the colourful plants and animals! H loved seeing the squirrel up close!

But most of all, she loved the ducks! It is like a toddler's paradise, getting up close to SO MANY duckies!

Top 5 Favourite Things about Camping with Kids

1. Freedom!!!
I love watching my baby girl run free! It's so good for her and for us. 

2. Teaching them to help.
Even if "helping" doesn't actually make you‒the parent‒more efficient, remember that it's important to take the time to slow down and give them "jobs" to do. Even if it is simply carrying their sleeping bag or walking with you to fetch water, this makes them feel confident while camping and prepares them to help around camp more when they're able to!

3. They learn so much about nature first hand!

4. Enjoy some down time with your partner and/or friends after they're asleep!
Watching the campfire burning is so relaxing, and part of good parenting is taking time to unwind for yourself!

5. Watch the sunrise again!
Either together or while they are still asleep. It's an incredible way to start the day!

This Hike Rocks! (Polly’s Cove, NS)

This past weekend we did a really great day hike! I had been meaning to go for some time now, and we finally got out there: Polly’s Cove. For those of you who aren’t familiar, I would love to fill you in on the secret! This hike is located 4 minutes from the famous Nova Scotia tourist destination Peggy’s Cove. There is a description of it in the Trails of Halifax Regional Municipality book, which, if you don’t have, I highly recommend picking up if you live in or near the HRM! The information for Polly’s Cove is very accurate. However, there are directions coming from Halifax, but not from Peggy’s Cove which we decided to check out first (our wee one—from here on out known as H—had not yet been and LOVED it! She has not stopped talking about “giant rocks and water” all week.). So if you are like us and are coming from Peggy’s Cove, it is simply 3-4 minutes’ drive after leaving Peggy’s. As Michael Hayne’s book describes, there is a parking lot that will barely hold three cars and the trail in unmarked. Easy to miss, so be on the lookout!

We parked and loaded our 30lbs 2-year-old in our backpack carrier. This is definitely not a stroller hike; to make the most of it, you will want to wear wee ones in a secure frontpack or—ideally—backpack. We have a Deuter Kid Comfort III carrier, which is fantastic! Sadly they cost a small fortune, but we purchased ours for cheap one year at an MEC gear swap. Older kiddos (toddlers/preschoolers and up) could walk a lot of it with help from an adult and some carrying when they've tired.

Off we went! The trail inwards is pretty linear and not too challenging but the terrain is uneven in places. At this point we let H out of the backpack. There are several short offshoots to the trail, which are great for kids to explore. We found Northern pitcher plants and explored them in awe for some time—I am totally fascinated by carnivorous plants! For the rest of the hike H looked at various things on the ground (dirt, rocks, grass, whatever!) and imitated Mama's excitement over the pitcher plants. It is so cool to see how easy it is to teach them to be fascinated by nature.

When you reach the end of the established trail (there will be a foundation to an unfinished building), the fun begins! BOULDERS EVERYWHERE! And a beautiful view of the ocean. Here you can hike around the barrens for quite some time. It is really beautiful! And feels like an epic hike while still being totally do-able with a wee one! Bring a picnic! Enjoy the beauty!